Ye Zeyu has cleared his name of the injustice he carried on Prince Yu's shoulders for nineteen years, and the heavy weight in his heart has finally been lifted.
However, he knew that he had completely offended his good father, the emperor.
If given the chance, his good father would certainly not let him go.
Although he has lost his military power, his prestige in the army has risen to an unprecedented level.
Although Uncle Yu had been dead for many years, many people still remembered him and had benefited from his kindness.
Military officers generally don't have as many thoughts as civil officials; they only know that Prince Yong'an is kind and righteous, so they all want to visit Prince Yong'an's residence.
In the Emperor's eyes, this was a case of princes and ministers being too close, forming cliques for personal gain!
So Ye Zeyu turned away all the visitors, pretending to be sick, and stayed at home.
Ye Jingchun wanted to punish Ye Zeyu, but he couldn't find an opportunity.
After all, Ye Ziyu hadn't left the mansion since leaving the morning court that day, so it was impossible to find fault with him.
Moreover, he had just issued an imperial edict to exonerate Prince Yu, yet he immediately punished Ye Zeyu; his purpose was far too obvious.
So Ye Jingchun seized the time and paved the way for the Third Prince, Ye Zemin.
He is now unable to have children and has only two princes left.
Ye Zeyu, the eldest son, has never truly respected his father, the emperor, so the throne must never be given to him!
Therefore, Ye Zeming was the only remaining candidate for crown prince.
Fortunately, Ye Zeming has always been one of his favorite children.
Half a month later, Ye Jingchun appointed Ye Zemin as the crown prince, making him the heir apparent of the Qi Kingdom.
After Ye Jingchun appointed Ye Zemin as the crown prince, the first thing he taught Ye Zemin was that "human hearts are unpredictable."
"Ming'er, I know you have always admired your elder brother, but now that you have become the crown prince, the person you should be most wary of is your elder brother!"
As you've seen, Qiao Xiuyuan always presents a refined and humble demeanor, whether to me or to others.
But who knew that he had been harboring malicious intentions all along, plotting a rebellion!
Upon hearing this, Ye Zemin lowered his eyes and remained silent. After a long while, he finally spoke, "Father, I understand. However, since you have just appointed me as the Crown Prince, I cannot suddenly become estranged from my elder brother. Otherwise, people's opinions will be terrible, and I fear that some people in the court will not accept my position."
"Let's see who dares to disobey! However, your concerns are reasonable. In any case, with your father here, he will surely protect you. And before you ascend the throne, I will definitely pull out all of Ye Ziyu's fangs one by one!"
Meanwhile, in the Yong'an Prince's Mansion
The deceased have been buried, Bai Zhi has accepted the fact that Zhong Bin is dead, and Mai Kun, whom Xiao Ce rescued from the pile of corpses, has also awakened.
Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction, but a heavy atmosphere lingered in the Prince's mansion.
Half a month passed, and no one in the mansion showed a smile. Only Bai Zhi would occasionally reveal a smile that was more painful than crying.
This was an unexpected disaster, since no one expected Qiao Xiuyuan to do something so crazy.
Su Muxi rested her head on Ye Zeyu's shoulder, stroking her slightly protruding belly, feeling uncertain about the future.
"Ye Ziyu, do you think the Emperor will let us go?"
"...Based on my understanding of him, it shouldn't be like that."
Su Muxi fell silent upon hearing this. She truly didn't understand why a father would insist on driving his own son to the brink of death before he would stop.
Seeing Su Muxi's somber face, Ye Ziyu gently stroked her cheek with his large hand. "It's alright. Have you forgotten the note that Eunuch Cao sent earlier?"
Su Muxi hesitated and said, "You want to join forces with Consort Li to help Ye Zemin ascend the throne? But aren't you afraid that once Ye Zemin takes the throne, you will be the next Uncle Yu?"
Although she also had a good impression of Ye Zemin, people's hearts can change, especially in the face of power.
Qiao Xiuyuan seemed to be deeply in love with Yun Ying, but Su Muxi didn't believe for a second that he had no intention of rebelling.
As his power increased, Qiao Xiuyuan was no longer satisfied with everything that the Marquis of Anyang had given him; he wanted to become the emperor who could control the life and death of others.
The reason Qiao Xiuyuan led his men into the Prince's mansion that night was simply because he knew he had lost and had no chance to turn the tables. That's why he acted like a lovesick fool, wanting to drag her down with him.
Now that Ye Zemin has become the crown prince, Ye Zeyu is the only person who can threaten his throne. Once Ye Zemin ascends the throne, it is hard to guarantee that he will not harbor murderous intent towards Ye Zeyu.
But then Ye Zeyu said, "I want to believe in my third brother this once. You know, if my third brother hadn't rushed into the main hall, I probably wouldn't have made it back in time."
If he truly had no brotherly affection for me, he could have simply stood by and watched, reaping the benefits without lifting a finger. There was no need for him to risk being reprimanded by my father by barging in.
If it weren't for him that night, Qiao Xiuyuan would have succeeded, I wouldn't be alive, and the injustice done to Uncle Yu and General Lin would never have been redressed.
So I want to trust people's hearts this once, and trust my third brother this once more.
Su Muxi looked into Ye Zeyu's bright eyes and smiled faintly, "No wonder when the Empress Dowager praised you, she didn't mention your handsome appearance or your great military achievements, but instead used the words 'loyalty and righteousness' to praise you."
Since you've chosen to believe Ye Zemin, then I will believe him too!
Half a month later, Emperor Ye Jingchun suddenly suffered a stroke and was unable to handle any state affairs.
Therefore, the crown prince acted as regent.
Consort Li looked at Ye Jingchun lying on the bed with his mouth crooked and eyes slanted. Gone was his former gentle demeanor, and there was no trace of love in his eyes, only deep disgust.
"Why not just let him die of illness?"
Consort Li said this to Ye Zeyu, who was standing next to her.
But then Ye Zeyu said, "If Father Emperor were to suddenly fall seriously ill and pass away, the Crown Prince's position would be unstable, and he might be manipulated by others. The way things are now, it not only gives the Crown Prince time to adapt to the court, but also saves him from a lot of gossip."
After speaking, he paused and added, "I know what Consort Li is worried about, but rest assured, I will not compete with the Crown Prince for anything. Now I just want to be a carefree prince, spending time with my beloved and watching my children play around me."
"As long as the Crown Prince and Consort Li can rest assured, I will be a sharp sword for you when you need me."
After a moment of silence, when Consort Li looked up at Ye Zeyu again, her face had returned to its original gentle and loving expression.
"I naturally trust Your Highness's character. Since Your Highness wishes to be a carefree prince, once the Crown Prince ascends the throne, I will certainly ensure Your Highness's lifelong comfort and security."
Ye Ziyu respectfully cupped his hands to Consort Li, "Then I thank Consort Li in advance."
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